Mental Health in Magazines: Relatability and Critique in Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter looks at conversations around depression and anxiety in the online archives of Cosmopolitan (US) and Teen Vogue. I examine the different orientations of these magazines when it comes to mental health by discussing their respective styles, tone, narratives, mode of address, and types of pedagogy and support around these issues. While Cosmopolitan tended to follow a script for postfeminist media—full of contradictions, covering serious topics in a tongue-in-cheek way that undermined any gravity, Teen Vogue offered a nuanced portrayal of mental illness that incited its readers to a more critical and engaged interpretation of dominant mental health paradigms. In this sense Cosmo provides an example of profitable vulnerability in that it aligns itself with the trendy themes of depression, anxiety, and other diagnoses, while maintaining a comfortable distance that avoids striking a too somber or heavy tone. Teen Vogue, on the other hand, does offer more spacious definitions of mental illness that does not shy away from difficult conversations. With their focus on support and their providing of resources, they are more aligned with the critical sad girl culture found on social media.